Back in November 2016, I posted a blog entry of my favorite Christmas movies. If you're a TLDR (too long; didn't read) kind of person, here's the summary of my recommendations:
- Elf
- White Christmas
- A Christmas Carol/Scrooge (multiple versions)
- Home Alone
- Little Women
- It's a Wonderful Life
- The Family Man
- The Santa Clause
- The Nutcracker (again, multiple versions)
- All the Rankin/Bass productions
- Honorable Mentions
- The Bishop's Wife/The Preacher's Wife
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original TV special)
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
- Miracle on 34th Street
- Holiday Inn
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
But since 2016, a whole slew of new Christmas movies have been released. What new favorites have I discovered in the last nine years? Let me tell you!
Klaus (2019)
A spoiled, entitled young man named Jesper is sent by his wealthy father on an assignment as a postman in a remote northern village in the hopes that he will develop maturity and a work ethic. Jesper befriends a reclusive toymaker named Klaus, and their friendship leads to small acts of kindness and generosity that transform the whole town and create the foundation of the Santa Claus legend. The film features a distinctive visual style and a fantastic voice cast which includes JK Simmons, Jason Schwartzmann, Rashida Jones, Norm MacDonald, and Joan Cusack. Have the tissues handy for some touchingly bittersweet scenes.
Available on Netflix
Spirited (2022)
Another loose adaptation of
A Christmas Carol, Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer star in this comedic musical version of the classic tale. With the sarcastic wit and roguish charm you expect from Reynolds and the silliness and homespun charm you expect from Ferrell, plus unexpected singing and dancing talent from the entire cast, this film is clever and fun, with a few unexpected twists, and despite being somewhat longer than it needs to be, enjoyable for the whole family (although there are a few moments of racy humor).
Available on Apple TV
The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
A teenage boy starts running with a rough crowd after his father passes away. Left in charge of his younger sister on Christmas Eve while their mother is at work, they catch a glimpse of Santa (Kurt Russell) and try to capture him on video, accidentally crashing his sleigh and causing him to lose his reindeer, his magical hat, and his sack of presents. The three work together to retrieve the lost items and save Christmas, with the sister teleporting to the North Pole and getting help from the elves while Santa uses his "naughty and nice" knowledge to get himself out of jail, but not until after he gets the inmates to perform Elvis' "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" (with fun cameos and performances by the members of the band "Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul," including Steven van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band). The elves repair the sleigh and the kids help Santa finish delivering the presents and make it home before their mom gets back from work, discovering that their living room has been magically decorated just the way their dad always did it, and there are special presents under the tree for each of them. It's a bit contrived and hokey, but with an underlying sweetness and earnestness, and Russell is a surprisingly charming Santa - plus there's an adorable cameo of Goldie Hawn as Mrs. Claus.
Available on Netflix
Red One (2024)
A spoofy combination of futuristic military technology and campily dramatic action sequences set against a framework of Santa's North Pole workshop, Santa Claus (code name: Red One, played by an impressively jacked JK Simmons) is protected by a crack security team headed up by Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), who manages to make the phrase, "
I wish you a merry Christmas" sound like a threat. Despite the protection, Santa is kidnapped on Christmas Eve and Cal has to work with the head of MORA ("Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority", played by Lucy Liu) and an untrustworthy grifter (Chris Evans) to get him back. The special effects range from impressive to deliberately cheesy, and the whole cast delivering dead-straight performances against the silliness of the plot makes for an entertaining film. The gorgeous score by Henry Jackman (who, appropriately enough, also scored several of the
Kingsman films, as well as dozens of others) adds to the festivities.
Available on Prime Video and Hulu
That Christmas (2024)
In this animated British film, a terrible snowstorm derails the Christmas plans of several families in the town of Wellington-on-Sea when the parents are stranded apart from their children. The children find creative ways to celebrate anyway, from enjoying junk food and karaoke to a lonely boy who bravely reaches out to another lonely - and grumpy - soul, who turns out to have more Christmas spirit than anyone expected, and who saves the day on multiple fronts. Lots of lessons to be learned about not taking people at face value, and about families and communities working together.
Available on Netflix
Noelle (2019)
Anna Kendrick plays Kris Kringle's daughter who has to assist her reluctant brother (Bill Hader) in taking over the role of Santa when their father (the previous Santa) dies, discovering that she has some very unusual skills in the process. Kendrick is adorable and charming and her sibling relationship with Hader is believable and hilarious. Shirley MacLaine as the snarky nanny Elf Polly and Julie Hagerty as sweet Mrs. Claus both add to the charm of this simple but sweet bit of Christmas fluff.
Available on Disney+
A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Narrated by Maggie Smith telling the story to some children in a framing device much like
The Princess Bride, this film is a different take on the origin story of Father Christmas. A motherless young boy named Nikolas secretly follows his father on an expedition to find the fabled northern city of Elfhelm in search of "hope," accompanied by a talking mouse (delightfully voiced by Stephen Merchant) and a reindeer. He finds Elfhelm and learns that his father and the other men from his village have kidnapped an elf child. Nikolas finds the child, and confronts his father and the other men, who capture Nikolas, but his father secretly frees both boys and all three race away in a sleigh pulled by the reindeer, who miraculously begins to fly when Nikolas touches his fur. The father sacrifices himself so the boys can escape and return to Elfhelm. The elves send Nikolas and the reindeer off to his own village with a sack full of "hope" in the form of toys and chocolates to give away to children throughout the kingdom, and Nikolas eventually agrees to continue the tradition each year, thereby becoming Father Christmas.
Available on Netflix
The Star (2017)
A retelling of the Nativity, but from the perspective of the animals who were there. The high-powered voice cast includes Kristen Chenoweth, Christopher Plummer, Oprah Winfrey, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Ving Rhames, Kelly Clarkson, Gina Rodriguez, Anthony Anderson, Kris Kristofferson, and more. The film is targeted toward younger viewers, ages 6-8, with a bit of a
Madagascar feel in the visuals, but is still entertaining for all ages.
Available on Netflix
Candy Cane Lane (2023)
Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy) is determined to win the annual neighborhood Christmas decorating contest. But when he makes a questionable deal with a cagey elf to make sure he wins, the 12 Days of Christmas come to life and wreak havoc. Of course, in the end his family works together, discovering each others' strengths and talents in the process, and outsmarts the elf to win the prize. The cast also includes Tracee Ellis-Ross, Nick Offerman, and David Alan Grier. The humor is much more family-friendly than Murphy's usual style, and the family relationships are just as believable when they're squabbling as when they come together and encourage each other. It'll never fall into the realm of a classic, but it's a sweet story that's predictable without being trite and with a message that's heartfelt without being preachy.
Available on Prime Video
Happy viewing!
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